Dec 7, 2022 | Stone Beads
The stunning red garnet is the birthstone of people born in the chilly days of January. Not to be confused with the brighter ruby, this bewitching gemstone is brimming with beading potential. To tap into this power, let’s dig deeper into garnet’s history and composition and learn some of the best ways to show it off in handcrafted jewelry projects.
What Is Garnet?
Garnet is a neosilicate mineral that has been used as a gemstone since the Bronze Age. It comes in almost every color imaginable depending on which impurities are present in the stone. Wine red is the most common color and blue is the rarest.
Garnets are most commonly found in countries in the southern hemisphere, including Kenya, Tanzania, India, and Madagascar. Some can also be found in Russia, Canada, and the United States. Its name comes from the word “gernet,” a Middle English term meaning dark red. It’s theorized that this word may be related to the word “pomegranate,” a fruit that is similar in color to garnet gemstones.
As a darker gem, garnet can be worn with many outfits both formal and casual. It looks best when worn with elegant, timeless styles that complement its stately appearance, but it’s versatile enough to fit into anyone’s wardrobe.
Crafting with Garnet
Garnet is much more understated than most of the other birthstones commonly used today. Its rich blood red color is captivating, but it must be used skillfully to bring out its beauty.
However, real garnet beads can be very expensive, and that’s when for people looking to embellish their jewelry with their birth color, the rhinestone beads in garnet color come to the rescue. Our gold plated rhinestone garnet ball bead is a perfect example. String a few of these beads onto a wire with some gold-filled beads between them as spacers and you’ll have a strikingly beautiful piece at a fraction of the cot, that can be enjoyed for years to come.
Garnet color pendants are also great for making statement jewelry. Our Swarovski crystal garnet heart pendant is particularly striking with its blood-red coloring. That deep shade not only resembles the color of a real human heart but also recalls feelings of lasting love and connection. Gold filled beads and sterling silver beads both look great next to these garnet color pendants/
Pearl beads also pair very well with garnet. Their soft shine and pale color contrast very well with the gem while still retaining the subtle look that suits garnet best.
Add Some Gorgeous Garnet Color Beads to Your Cart Today
Pick up some garnet color beads from our online bead supply store today to get started making beautiful garnet jewelry today.
Oct 7, 2022 | JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES, Stone Beads
We here at Crystal Findings are proud to be the #1 supplier of beads and jewelry making supplies in the US, and we take that reputation seriously. We know that consumer trust has played a massive role in our success over the last few decades. What sets us apart from our competition? Here are just a few of the things that we do to show our customers how much we value their business.
Incredible Selection
There’s nothing more frustrating for a crafter than having a project in mind and being unable to find the beads you need for it. Our online-only sales approach allows us to stock an eye-popping number of different specialty beads, including stone beads, sterling silver beads, and alphabet beads. We even have an unmatched selection of luxury products like gold-filled beads, and beads and pendants made from real Swarovski crystals. No matter what type of beads or beading supplies you need, you’ll have no trouble finding them here.
Easy Bulk Orders
We know that a significant portion of our customer base isn’t just making jewelry for themselves – they’re selling it as part of a business. We offer bulk orders on all of our beads and beading supplies to make it easy for business owners to stock up on the things they need. We even offer special pricing for orders above a certain size, making large orders of bulk bead supplies even more affordable.
Fast Shipping
When you buy something online, you don’t want to have to wait weeks to receive it. We ship most of our orders on the same day you place them, allowing us to get them to you as fast as possible. With speedy delivery available all across the country, you’ll never have to wait too long to get started on your next exciting craft project.
Stellar Customer Service
We want our customers to feel confident buying from us, so we’ve invested heavily in improving the customer experience. Got a question, or want to make a return? Our friendly customer service team is always ready to help you out. If something goes wrong with your order, we’ll happily do everything we can to make it right.
25+ Years of Success
We’ve been in the jewelry business for more than a quarter of a century now, and we’re still going strong. Our continued success speaks for itself, and our collection of glowing reviews backs it up. Our customers love our products and service so much that they buy from us again and again. We know you’ll feel the same way.
Don’t Believe Us? See For Yourself
Crystal Findings is the best place to get jewelry making supplies wholesale online. Browse our extensive product listings today to see just how much we have to offer. With thousands of different beads available for purchase, you’re sure to find some you truly love.
May 21, 2022 | Alphabet letter beads, JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES
Alphabet letter beads are fun and quirky beads, each of which features a different letter of the alphabet. Often, alphabet letter beads come as part of any basic beading tools and supplies kit as they are one of the most popular types of beads to get started beading with. Why? Because they are typically a part of the friendship bracelets that are so often the very first type of beading jewelry a young person will make.
Beaded Alphabet Bracelet & Necklace Gifting Ideas
The traditional friendship bracelets that bear each person’s name remain among the most popular beaded jewelry made with alphabet beads, but they certainly are not alone in this category. These types of beads can be used in a variety of out of the box creative jewelry ideas that make for excellent gift ideas, including:
- Spiritual milestones. First communion, bar or bat mitzvahs, and more personal spiritual milestones are popular points of gift-giving, and what better gift than to fashion a bracelet that lists an important verse from a loved one’s preferred holy text?
- Encouragement for life changes. Maybe your best friend got a new car or a cousin is planning a road trip across the country? These big changes bring about new opportunities and a small gift like a beaded bracelet with words of encouragement and inspiration is a fantastic token of your support.
- Celebration of a new family addition. Beaded bracelets are often used to connect friends, but that isn’t the only type of relationship that has to be celebrated. Maybe a friend added a new pet to their life, or a sister is about to become a mother. A bracelet made with alphabet and stone beads listing the name of this new familial addition is a great celebratory gift.
Supplies to Make Beaded Alphabet Bracelets & Necklaces
Are you ready to get crafting? The first step is to make sure you have the right supplies. We recommend the following basics for your first alphabet beaded jewelry gift:
- Alphabet beads
- Decorative beads to place in combination with alphabet beads, such as stone beads or sterling silver beads
- Elastic string or other type of cord to thread your beads on
- Sharp jewelry scissors
- Glue that dries fast and clear
All of these items can be bought at your neighborhood crafts supply store, but for the best deals and the best selection, you will want to buy jewelry making supplies online.
Visit Crystal Findings to Learn More
Here at Crystal Findings, we are passionate about not just getting our customers the best supply of affordable jewelry-making supplies, but also helping them learn more about what they can create and do with those supplies. Browse our blog for more jewelry-making tips and be sure to visit our online store for the best in online jewelry-making supplies!
We also welcome customers to visit our showroom in Philadelphia by calling in advance.
May 7, 2022 | Jewelry Making, JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES
The snow has melted and the days are getting longer; key signs that summer has finally come. And with that warmer weather comes new ways of dressing up and bringing out one’s favorite pieces. Looking for new ways to make your own sizzling summer pieces with your jewelry making supplies? Consider the following exciting summer jewelry ideas:
Four Sizzling Ideas for Creating Jewelry for Summer 2022
- Bright and bold colors. When one thinks of summer, one of the first things that come to mind is the bright light of the sun. So much of what people enjoy most about this season happens outdoors, like swimming and backyard barbecues. As such, bright and bold colors are always a good choice for jewelry pieces. Think bright color beads and the inclusion of gold filled beads and findings which often boast their own bright sunny appearance.
- Chunky and multi-layered bracelets. Chunky bracelets and those bracelets that feature multiple layers also make for fantastic summer pairings. The reason for this is because, during the summer, you often wear things that more expose your arms, such as spaghetti-strap sundresses and tank tops. Chunky and multi-layered bracelets offer a nice contrast to draw the eyes. You can keep things simple with alphabet letter beads interspaced with your favorite filling beads, such as bone or sterling silver beads.
- Choker and short necklaces. Choker and short necklaces are ideal summer jewelry for the same reason that chunky and multi-layered bracelets are — they are going to really accent the more visible neck. A simple ring of pearl beads is a fantastic addition to just about any summer outfit, casual or more formal.
- Ocean or beach-themed jewelry. Are you a person who loves pendants and adding in more structured pieces? Then, when you buy beading supplies online, look for things that can help you create more ocean or beach-themed pieces. Ocean and beach-themed pendants are great summer pieces because they remind us of the things we most want to do and experience during the season, in a similar way that evergreen tree and star pendants are perfect for winter jewelry. So good choices here might be starfish and turtle pendants that help keep that summer spirit in sharp focus.
Visit Crystal Findings for More Special Summer Pieces
We hope this quick look at four sizzling summer jewelry ideas has helped to inspire you and get you thinking about the next creative pieces you want to create, whether that’s for yourself, your friends, or even for sale. But before you start creating, you need supplies! Visit our online store to enjoy a broad array of online beading supplies and jewelry-making packages that will help you build those perfect pieces for yourself, for gifts, and for sale.
Jan 6, 2022 | Jewelry Making, JEWELRY MAKING SUPPLIES
Beading is one of the best starter crafts a person can get into — for many reasons. First, getting into bead making as a hobby is relatively inexpensive thanks to the ability to shop around and buy jewelry making supplies online at good prices. This makes it possible to start making beautiful pieces without a big initial investment. The other reason why bead jewelry making is so great for newcomers to jewelry making, in general, is because of how much you can customize your pieces to be exactly what you want them to be.
So, now that you have decided you want to get into bead jewelry making, let’s take a look at some other key ideas that will help you hit the ground running:
Starting Ideas for Bead Jewelry Making for Beginners
- Wire-wrapped beaded chain necklace or choker. The basic wire necklace or choker is one of the best pieces of jewelry that a beginner can make. Here, you start with a piece of wire and your favorite alphabet letter beads or sterling silver beads and start putting the beads on that wire in your own desired pattern. You can also use a spinning beader to make the process go faster (although that makes it harder to personalize the pattern).
- Earrings with beaded tassels. Earrings are a wonderful beginner project because of how small they are. This is one that won’t require a ton of beading tools and supplies or your time, making it possible to really experiment with different looks and methods.
- A beaded circle necklace pendant. A beaded circle necklace pendant is one of those things that you can do really simply, or go all out extravagant. As such, this type of jewelry piece is ideal for beginners as you can experiment and slowly hone your skills with each new rendition. A good place to start is with a simple wire circle on which you thread your favorite stone beads.
- Beaded ladder stitch bracelet. This one will require a bit more time and patience than most of the other beded jewelry on this list, but the finished look is well worth your effort! This is a chunky beaded bracelet that features multiple thin weaves of beads in which the maker creates a repeating pattern. It has a fantastic end look that really accentuated many different fashion styles, and so it is also a good choice for gift-giving.
Visit Our Online Store for More Information & Supplies
Are you eager for more top bead making ideas? Or maybe you need some new beading tools and supplies in order to get started? In either case and more, our team at Crystal Findings is here to help. Visit our website today for more jewelry-making tips and to get the best prices on new beads and beading equipment.
